"Uuuugh fuck I can see why. I could make so many bad life choices like this. Whatever, koala backpack is fine."

Thank you, Griggs, you're winning the Better-Iggs contest this week.  "Okay.  I'm going to set you down, go ahead and just - uh, you can climb my back, I'll kneel down a little - keep skin contact me if you want to, so you don't, um."  Cry like a baby.  Suiting deeds to words, he'll set her down, squat down a little bit, and wait for her to become a koala.

She tries her best to maintain contact, but while adjusting her grip in the process of climbing him she ends up with just a couple of fingertips on his arm and takes a big heaving sniff of about-to-cry before she stabilizes herself and gets her hand more firmly wrapped around his bicep.

In short order, though, she ends up in proper piggyback position with her face pressed against the side of his neck.

"Okay cool," she says. "I think I'm good for now. Probably I'll get tired eventually and then it'll have to be koala princess."

Tim tries his best to Stay Professional, but fails.  He breaks out in chuckles at that.  "Let me do most of the work, I'm the one with the strength power.  Um, sir - Sean?  Are you, uh, both of you, wanting to stick around for.  Er.  Management?"  For when she starts crying again when I have to go take a leak?

"Yeah I think that's a good plan."

"Please keep Sean around for when I totally lose my shit again, yes."

Griggs is a Professional and is willing to Do Some Shit but is very glad he doesn't have to.

"Yessir, yes'm.  Yeah.  Okay.  Let's head to the next one, Sean, I'm going to buff you a little, okay?  It's not the whole deal, but you're going to be stronger and tougher than normal.  No sudden movements and be careful using your full strength on anything.  We've got spare clothes if you do pop a seam, but.  Easier to not need it."  And in saying this, their little squad can move out.

"I will do my best," he says agreeably, following along.

Well.  It's a very fulfilling job!  Much more emotionally satisfying than lying around all day while playing video games and trying not to fall asleep.  Tim takes an even more passive role than usual, esper strength is dwarfed by his power.  And he doesn't need to conserve nearly so much power as usual - she's quite compatible with him and frankly it's slightly uncomfortable how much skin contact the girl needs.  But mitigating Hell Week and lifesaving vastly outweigh this level of discomfort.  She's a perfect backlash backpack koala.

"Here you go, sir, I've got you - Riggs, you've got the chock, slide it in after we lift."

"Aww, what a cute kid!  Hey kiddo, did you know that our esper over there kidnapped a shark once?  Maybe if you ask nicely he'll show you the video."

"Sir, I know your house got destroyed.  We've got dungeon insurance, you'll be okay.  I know, it's not fair - here, I can get you a ride to the rally point, you'll be able to get in touch with a social worker there, they'll help you with - I know, sir, it's not fair."

"Ah, shit, this one's bad - Tim, you think you can focus on her for a minute?  She's got something in her stomach.  Williams, you've got the medical kit, let's get this out of her, I don't think we have the time to spare to get her back to a real doctor.  No offence, either of you."

"Hey, it's okay.  I know.  It'll be alright.  Hey.  You're going to be just fine, okay?  We'll get you out of there.  I know it's scary.  Riggs, get the chock out.  It's okay, ma'am, we'll get you out in three...two...one...Chock!  Okay.  can you make it out on your own?  Okay, great, come here, we've got you.  It's okay, that chock isn't going anywhere.  Look, I'll go under it myself, you can trust it.  C'mon, ma'am, I know.  You'll be alright.  THERE you go, good stuff.  You're doing really well."

As they proceed it becomes increasingly clear that April is hanging onto her composure by her fingernails. She keeps making sad little whining noises into Tim's neck and then muttering "ah fuck, ignore me" in grumpy, petulant tones. She makes more of an effort when there are other unhappy people around, so as not to set them off.

Sean, by contrast, is basically chill. He gravitates to simple, helpful tasks like handing out granola bars and Esperade, and otherwise sticks close to April so he can pat her on the back when she makes unhappy noises.

Wonders will never cease.  TWO helpful civvies who aren't even freaking out a little bit.  Well.  One who isn't freaking out even a little bit.  But the freaking one is pretty helpful, so that makes up for it.  Maybe they'll have a nickname for her by the end of the deployment, when she's in a mood to appreciate one.  They're currently saving Princess Charming for if Menhir and Sleeping Beauty hook up for real, or if it winds up being really funny.

Tim eventually does offer her a princess carry.  Unknowingly, this provokes a discussion on whether April really will wind up being Princess Charming, but it's shot down for not being the time or place.  It's uh.  Incredibly awkward trying to comfort a girl who's crying because of a magic curse, but.  He'll do his best?  He shoots Sean some incredibly grateful looks, especially after the princess carry becomes a thing.

"You're doing really good, you know."  But eventually, regular fatigue and backlash fatigue take their toll on Tim.  He's getting pretty tired.

Riggs carefully circles to where he can look at Tim, but April can't.  "It's getting pretty close to your bedtime, Sleeping Beauty.  We're thinking about packing it in pretty soon, you've got your night job coming up.  Gotta save some juice for that."

"Night job?"

"So, uh.  Sorry, ma'am.  I have the b-well, the second-best backlash ever.  I just get tired.  So what I do when I'm not dungeoneering, is I get ten-ish people in a room and give them all my buff.  It's weaker the more people get it, but it does healing properly, none of this achy elbow when it rains shhhtuff.  Which, uh, is what I was mentioning to you, earlier, ma'am.  If you're willing to, er.  Cuddle.  And be a little less - " do not say crazy DO NOT SAY CRAZY  "Uh, backlashed."

"I am incredibly fucking thrilled to be your teddy bear if the other option is crying on Sean all night. I'm really tired of crying on Sean all night."

"Okay.  I think uh, I'll talk to Bill - my agent - about this and make sure that we're both covered on this.  It's uh, it's also possible that another esper will be compatible with you, so you're not - chained to me or anything.  Not that I'm - uh.  You can absolutely be my - teddy bear - you just.  Don't have to."

You'd think a combat esper would have more game than a chunk of concrete, but no.  He does not.

"Cool cool," says Princess Charming Koala. "I know I don't have to. But like, I had better be somebody's teddy bear or I'm going to go right back to being a huge fucking mess. And you seem like you'll do a lot of good with it? If you find somebody else I can take a sad shitty nap on who will save more lives that way, I'm game, but, like, can you?"

"Um.  I don't think so.  Maybe?  But compatibility is pretty rare."  He'll lope off towards the rally point, also known as 'the nearest flattish area that can fit a helicopter'.  "And I know this is your hellweek, but - people like you are really important to humanity.  It's stupid and bullshit that you've gotta put up with it, but when you get through it, you'll be doing important work."

"Oh yeah I am absolutely going straight to powers testing as soon as I have powers to test. Because dungeons fucking suck. Even more than my backlash fucking sucks, which is saying something."